AFB Blog

In her October 28 Arizona Daily Star op-ed “I have impaired vision. COVID has made daily life much tougher,” AFB’s Director of Research Dr. L. Penny Rosenblum shares her experiences navigating daily life since the COVID-19 pandemic, and shares findings from AFB’s Flatten Inaccessibility report, which examined the impact of COVID-19 on adults with visual impairments in the United States early in the outbreak. Dr. Rosenblum writes: “As a low-vision person, COVID-19 has impacted my life in the…

Thank you so much to everyone who was able to join the first AFB Town Hall on the impact of COVID-19 on access to healthcare, transportation, and voting for Americans who are blind or have low vision. A complete archive will be available soon, for anyone who missed the live conversation. As promised, here are some of the resources shared by the presenter and attendees: Aira announced support for voting in the upcoming election. Another visual assistance option is the BeMyEyes app, which is…

NPR, October 21, 2020: Supreme Court Blocks Curbside Voting In Alabama, An Option During Pandemic One of the quotes that really stuck out from AFB’s Flattening Inaccessibility survey was a story about curbside voting. “I voted in the primaries, but the polling place did not have a ramp, and though they offered to bring the portable voting booth out, they would only do that if you parked your car in the designated spot. Since we got dropped off by Lyft, we did not have a car. So, two…

In this special edition of AFB's Inform & Connect podcast, Dr. L. Penny Rosenblum discussed the Flatten Inaccessibility research report, the culmination of survey findings from 1,921 U.S. participants who are blind (65%) or have low vision (35%). The survey investigated the experiences of these participants during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to determine how they were affected in areas including access to transportation, healthcare, access to food and supplies, employment, education…

On October 14, Texas Governor Greg Abbott appointed ten individuals to the Task Force on Disaster Issues Affecting Persons who are Elderly and Persons with Disabilities; among its members is AFB’s National Aging and Vision Loss Specialist Neva Fairchild. The Task Force on Disaster Issues Affecting Persons Who Are Elderly and Persons Who Are Disabled will study methods to more effectively accommodate persons who are elderly and persons with disabilities before, during, and after a disaster or…

The Flatten Inaccessibility report examined the impact of COVID-19 on 1,921 adults with visual impairments and the Access and Engagement survey examined the impact of COVID-19 on the education of 455 children and 1,028 teachers of students with visual impairments and orientation and mobility specialists. These reports contain a wealth of information on timely topics important to those with visual impairments, family members, educators, employers, policymakers, and anyone else who is invested…

At AFB we are committed to supporting job seekers who are blind or have low vision. We know that for job seekers who are visually impaired, there are often technology obstacles along their path to employment but the perception barriers can be an even bigger hurdle. So in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we offer these 10 specific ways you can combat ableism in the workplace. 1. Hire blind people: Actively recruit, refer, and recommend blind and low vision candidates…

In recent months, we at AFB had the good fortune to celebrate several pieces of legislation that have improved the lives of those who are blind or visually impaired. We celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act in July, the 22nd anniversary of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in August, and now, the 10th anniversary of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA). Ratified on October 8, 2010, the CVAA significantly extended…

AFB is immensely proud to release the report on the findings of the Flatten Inaccessibility Study. Almost two thousand people took part in the study, sharing how the coronavirus pandemic has affected them and highlighting how community decisions have in many cases erected barriers to independence and equal access for those who are blind or have low vision. This report is a tool not only for organizations to advocate nationally for dismantling barriers and creating opportunities, but it also is…